Dot Net Members will be listening to Jason Powell and Rich Twilling's separate audio reviews of tonight's WWE Raw television show. You can sign up for membership for as little as $5.50 per month via the Dot Net Members' Signup Page.

By Jason Powell

WWE Raw on the USA Network
Live from Orlando, Fla.

[Q1] The show opened with Michael Cole and Jerry Lawler discussing the Survivor Series main event. They noted that Cena counted the pin of Wade Barrett. "But because of his actions, John Cena was fired," Lawler said...

The Nexus music played and Wade Barrett walked onto the stage. The rest of Nexus joined him and then they all walked to the ring together. They were booed and a "Cena" chant broke out. Barrett started his promo and then stopped to play into the heat. He started again and stopped.

Barrett shook his head in disgust. "Hard luck, I fired him," Barrett said in response to the Cena chants. Barrett said Cena looked him in the eyes and said he knew exactly what he was doing. Barrett said that means Cena was willing to sacrifice his entire career to do what he thought was the right thing.

Wade said that also meant he was going into that match with no chance because Cena had already decided that he was going to lose. He said Cena is the first referee to make contact with a wrestler and complained that he was pushed into Randy Orton's RKO. He said it was unprofessional, and he wants another opportunity to take on Orton with a neutral referee.

The anonymous general manager chime sounded. It seemed to receive a mixed reaction, but Cole's usual lines were booed. Cole took his spot at the podium and said there was some validity to what Barrett is saying. The GM also felt that Orton would like to prove his superiority. The GM ruled that Orton would defend the WWE Championship against Barrett during the show.

Barrett thanked the general manager for the gracious decision and said he was deeply appreciative. He said that in anticipation of the announcement, he decided to let Cena appear on the show. Barrett said he enjoyed firing Cena last night, but he felt he owed him the opportunity to say goodbye to WWE Universe.

Powell's POV: I'm never a fan of them giving away the pay-per-view main event rematch one night later on television. Granted, this one doesn't have Cena as the referee, but it does send a message to potential pay-per-view buyers that they can wait for Raw. I'm surprised WWE didn't have a big in-ring deal with Barrett firing Cena rather than claiming it happened last night. On a positive note, the live crowd is really hot tonight.

The announcers hyped the main event. Cole said he just received word that Cena will appear live on Raw... [C]

Powell's POV: Um, I just received word from Wade Barrett via his promo that Cena would be on the show too, Michael.

[Q2] C.M. Punk joined the announcers on commentary and told them he was part of their team for the foreseeable future...

1. Sheamus pinned R-Truth (w/Eve) in a King of the Ring qualifier in 11:00. Truth came out to the "What's Up" theme. I guess this means it's no longer time to get crunk. Punk won me over on commentary immediately when he said he's not a fan of Eve's lame ass dancing. Cole said this is the first of four qualifying matches for KOTR. Sheamus was cleared from the ring and they cut to break at 2:00. [C]

After the break, Sheamus was in control of the match. Cole dubbed him the favorite to win King of the Ring. Truth came back at 9:45 with a nice missile dropkick for a near fall. However, he at the Brough Kick moments later. Sheamus followed up with the High Cross and got the clean pin...

Powell's POV: A good match. King Sheamus has a nice ring to it, especially if WWE wants to go with The King of Kings vs. The King of the Ring. However, the announcers labeled Sheamus the favorite so many times that it may not bode well for him.

[Q3] At ringside, Cole and Lawler spoke about the John Cena DVD. Punk said the DVD is the only way you're going to see Cena because he's fired. Cole set up a Cena video from WrestleMania 26... [C]

Powell's POV: So if I miss Cena so much that I order his DVD, will WWE give me a refund if this firing thing doesn't turn out to be legitimate? I know one firing that isn't going to be reversed. Bye bye, Chilly.

A Did You Know graphic boasted that fans from over 30 countries and all 50 states have already purchased WrestleMania tickets...

A shot aired of LayCool walking outside the building. They tried to enter, but a wonderful security guard told them that only Raw superstars are allowed to enter. As LayCool bitched, Natalya showed up and asked if there was a problem. The security guard asked if she knew them. She claimed she didn't know who they were. The security guard closed the door on the most obnoxious act in wrestling today...

Powell's POV: You had to know they'd find a way to work those two into the show.

Backstage, Santino Marella was expressing his disappointment to Vladimir Kozlov over the tag title match loss. Tamina showed up and played Santino a song. He puckered up and she kissed him...

Inside Randy Orton's locker room, stalker Josh Matthews appeared out of nowhere to interview him. Orton said Cena called his match right down the middle. He said they haven't been friends, but he respects the hell out of him. Orton guaranteed that Barrett will not leave the building as the WWE Champion...

The announcers hyped Ezekiel Jackson vs. The Miz in a KOTR qualifier... [C] A Smackdown aired teased additional KOTR qualifiers, but the only official qualifier they advertised was Big Show vs. Alberto Del Rio...

Powell's POV: They weren't exactly clear about whether Show vs. Del Rio is a qualifier or not. We are looking for Smackdown correspondents for tomorrow night's show. If you are going and want to help, contact me at dotnetjason@gmail.com.

[Q4] Ezekiel Jackson made his entrance and slapped fan hands on his way to the ring. Alex Riley came out and said he has some news. "I bet he has some news," Punk said with a laugh. Riley said Miz suffered an anxiety attack ten minutes ago, but authorized him to qualify on his behalf...

2. Ezekiel Jackson defeated Alex Riley in a King of the Ring qualifier in 1:55. Cole complained that no one told him that Miz had an anxiety attack. Riley got some offense in, but Zeke overpowered him and finished him of with his version of the Rock Bottom...

Powell's POV: The crowd quieted down for that one. It's cool to hear Punk on commentary, but the announcers have been talking over one another. I'm hopeful that Punk heeling it up on commentary means Cole will tone down his own heel antics and play it straight. I don't mind the occasional Miz rooting or Daniel Bryan bashing from Cole, but I'd prefer it end there.

Backstage, John Cena shook hands with R-Truth, Eve, Gail Kim, Yoshi Tatsu, and Santino Marella... [C] The announcers spoke at ringside briefly...

Ring announcer Justin Roberts introduced John Cena, who came out with a smile on his face and made his entrance wearing his usual ring gear. He said that if you're going to go out, this is how you do it, not carrying someone's bag or wearing a referee shirt. A "Cena" chant broke out.

Cena said Orton is still the WWE Champion, which means he is fired. Cena said he didn't think it would happen, but it didn't matter because he was living out of his car and cleaning toilets at one time and didn't think any of this would happen. He said the fans have gotten to know him over the years, but they only see what they see on TV.

[Q5] Cena said there are things about him and everyone else that they don't know. "You guys have no idea how much I respect this company," Cena said. "Not just this company today, but every single person who have allowed me to be here today. He mentioned Steve Austin, Triple H, Shawn Michaels, and The Undertaker.

Cena said championships are one thing, but his goal was for all of those guys to look him in the eye and say he was alright. Cena said he's been able to dance in the ring with Hall of Famers, travel the world, meet millions of people, and live out a fantasy. He said he will not let Nexus ruin what has been the greatest nine years of his life.

"One thing you may not know is that life moves pretty fast here in WWE," Cena said. He said he wanted to give the fans everything he had when he stepped between the ropes. He said his family has been patient with him. He said his brother Matt just had a baby girl and he missed it. He said his mother's birthday is in a couple days.

Cena got emotional as he said he's going back to West Newbury to see his niece. He said his mom is going to get the best birthday gift she's had in nine years because he will be there to hug her and love her and all the money in the world can't buy that.

Cena said he loved that the fans were always honest. He said he wanted to hear every woman and child say, "Let's go, Cena," and every man over the age of 18 to say, "Cena sucks." The crowd complied and Punk chimed in on commentary with a "Cena sucks." Cena leaned back on the ropes and smiled as the fans continued with the chant.

"That is beautiful, thank you very much," Cena said. He said he knew that he earned that chant no matter what the chant was. Cena said he had some words for Wade Barrett. He said he has talent and wants to give him a bit of advice before he leaves. Cena said he hopes Barrett will take advice from a grizzled veteran who may have peed in his coffee once or twice.

Cena said the fans will give everything back to him. He said he'll probably be fined, but since he's already fired he said, "Karma his a bitch." Yes, they censored the bitch. Cena told Barrett to stop taking shortcuts. He said Billy Kidman is probably going to strangle him because he's already gone over his time, but he had one more thanks to issue.

Cena thanked the WWE Universe. "Thank you for letting idiots like me come out and live this wonderful, wonderful dream," Cena said. "I love you to death. Let's go home." Cena left the ring and headed up the ramp. Once at the top of the ramp, Cena looked into the camera and shook his head before turning back to the fans.

Cena kissed his dog tags and saluted the fans before heading backstage. The camera men showed shots of Cena fans in the crowd. One female looked distraught, the rest of the fans were just kind of doing their thing.

The camera picked up Cena walking through the backstage area where wrestlers were lined up to root for him. Cena stopped when he saw Randy Orton. They shook hands and Orton hugged him. As Cena walked through the open garage door into the street, Wade Barrett showed up and made the "You can't see me" hand gesture... [C]

Powell's POV: Cena was great here. He got legitimately choked up when talking about his family, and he made it easy for his younger fans to buy into the possibility that this is the end of the road for him. For those wondering why he mentioned Billy Kidman, it's because Kidman took over the role of timing the shows after Gerald Brisco was sidelined for medical reasons. He was actually training for the gig before Brisco was hospitalized.

[Q6] After the break, Cole said they had just witnessed a surreal scene and one of the most emotional moments in the history of the program. That last part is pushing it, but he has to sell it that way. Punk complained about having to watch that awful speech...

3. Daniel Bryan (w/Brie Bella) beat Ted DiBiase (w/Maryse) in a King of the Ring qualifier in 1:55. WWE spared us the majority of the DiBiase entrance theme, as he was already in the ring when they came back from the break. Brie Bella ran out behind Bryan during his entrance and touched him. She stayed in his corner.

Bryan caught DiBiase in the LeBell Lock and got the submission win. Nikki Bella ran out after the match and the twins both gave Bryan the treatment they usually reserve for celebrities. He didn't have much interest and instead nudged them toward one another, which they seemed cool with... [C]

Powell's POV: Another Survivor Series rematch. This match had nothing on the pay-per-view encounter. It looks like DiBiase's performance on Sunday didn't score him any points if this match is any indication. Of course, it is possible that Cena was being honest about running long with his segment and they had to cut some time off this match. I have no idea why the Bellas are hanging all over Bryan. I hope this isn't a case of Vince McMahon thinking it would be funny to have the twins hang all over the guy he sees as a nerd.

A graphic touted that WWE has released 49 video games that have sold over 50 million copies...

4. Natalya defeated Alicia Fox in 2:15. Alicia did her stripper walk to the ring and showed off her blonde hair. Cole delivered the smart, sexy, and powerful line. Punk said there's not a single Diva who possesses all three of those attributes. Nice.

Alicia pulled out one of Natalya's hair extensions. Natalya picked her up in suplex position and performed squats before performing the move. Natalya used the Sharpshooter to get the win...

The announcers hyped Orton vs. Barrett... Backstage, Melina and John Morrison were talking. They were both excited. Melina told him to go to the ring and she'll see him later tonight. She slapped his ass as he walked away... [C]

Powell's POV: Are all the Divas who aren't wrestling horny tonight? Well, I guess Maryse wasn't. She just kind of stood there during Ted's match, but maybe that's because she was too horny to move!

[Q7] Highlights aired of Tyson Kidd turning on David Hart Smith last week...

5. John Morrison pinned Tyson Kidd in a King of the Ring qualifier in 3:30. Cole said Kidd got rid of dead weight. Punk agreed. Lawler said it was nice to see those two agree on everything. So much for Cole toning it down. Ugh. Kidd went for a kick early. Morrison ducked and caught him with a kick of his own in a cool spot.

Punk put over the fact that all of the wrestlers who have competed in the KOTR qualifiers have been hooking the leg and going all out because the tournament means something. In the end, Morrison hit Starship Pain and scored the clean pin. Punk pointed out that Morrison didn't hook the leg...

Powell's POV: A fun match while it lasted. It's too bad these two didn't get more time. I was encouraged when the first qualifier went over ten minutes, but it's been pretty rapid fire stuff since then. Here's hoping they give the majority of the actual King of the Ring matches time next week. By the way, we've been getting tons of ads for Dwayne Johnson's "Faster" during the breaks tonight.

Split screen shots aired of Orton and Barrett walking backstage. Cole said he has a feeling we're going to see a new champion tonight... [C]

An ad aired for the King of the Ring tournament and noted that superstars from Raw and Smackdown would be on the show... A graphic noted that Ezekiel Jackson, Daniel Bryan, John Morrison, and Sheamus have qualified for King of the Ring...

The announcers hyped Friday's Smackdown and a graphic showed that Kofi Kingston, Big Show, Alberto Del Rio, Drew McIntyre, Rey Mysterio, Jack Swagger, Cody Rhodes, and MVP will be in the KOTR qualifying matches...

[Q8] Randy Orton's music played and he walked onto the stage. Suddenly, Nexus ran out and attacked him as Wade Barrett barked orders. Several referees ran out to pull them off. Orton held his right knee in pain. The announcers questioned the logic of the move and whether there would be a title match.

Orton got to his feet only to have Husky Harris run down the ramp and kick the knee again. Barrett smirked on the top of the stage as the referees pulled Harris away. Barrett pulled the troops back as Orton writhed in pain on the entrance ramp... [C]

Powell's POV: Great teaser heading into the commercial break. If that doesn't make viewers think there could be a title change tonight then nothing will.

After the break, the announcers spoke about the angle. Barrett made his entrance as Cole said it was obvious that Barrett didn't heed Cena's advice about not taking shortcuts. Cole said he just received a message on his Blackberry that banned Nexus from ringside.

Inside the ring, Barrett jawed at the referee and could be heard saying that Orton should forfeit if he is unable to compete. Orton's music played, but he didn't come out right away. Barrett threw a fit in the ring. "Where is he?" Barrett askd the referee. Orton eventually limped onto the stage with the WWE Championship belt in hand. Barrett smirked as Orton slowly limped down the entrance ramp...

6. Randy Orton pinned Wade Barrett to retain the WWE Championship in 4:00. Justin Roberts handled the in-ring introductions for the main event. Both men received strong reactions with the fans booing Barrett and cheering Orton. The ref approached Orton, who said he was ready and yelled, "Ring the bell." Barrett went right after the knee to start the match.

Barrett continued to work the knee and eventually hoisted up Orton and performed his finishing move. Barrett made the cover and had Orton pinned, but Cena showed up and pulled the referee out of the ring. Cena entered the ring and hit the Attitude Adjustment on Barrett. Nexus ran out and chased Cena out the other side of the arena. Orton hit the RKO and pinned Barrett.

The fans popped huge for Orton retaining. Orton backed into the corner with his title belt. The Miz's music played and he and Alex Riley ran out. Miz told the referee he was cashing in his Money in the Bank contract...

[Overrun] 7. The Miz (w/Alex Riley) pinned Randy Orton to win the WWE Championship in 2:45. The bell rang and The Miz went to work on Orton's bad knee. At 1:45, Orton got in some offense, including a slam. Orton struck the Viper's Pose as Miz got to his feet.

Orton went for the RKO, but Miz countered it into the Skull Crushing Finale and scored the clean pin. Miz posed with the belt while standing on the second rope. Cole said The Era of Awesomeness has begun on Raw. Highlights aired of Nexus attacking Orton, Miz working over the knee, and then hitting his finisher to win the title.

Powell's POV: Awesome! Yeah, it's cliche, but that was great. The only problem I have is that Raw was more newsworthy and meaningful than the Survivor Series was. As a consumer, I would think twice about ordering the next pay-per-view given that the important stuff was saved for Raw.

Putting that aside, I enjoyed this show. The King of the Ring qualifiers made some ordinary matchups meaningful, the Cena promo was necessary and well done given the direction of the angle, and the title change at the end of the show was a lot of fun. I'll have a lot more to say about the show in tonight's member exclusive audio, and in tomorrow's WWE Raw Hitlist. Thanks for watching along with me tonight.

RECOMMEND THIS ARTICLE: